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{Cross-posted to linux.redhat.install}

I was given a Compaq Proliant 2500 server and a Compaq Storage System
last week just to tinker with at home. My goal is to install Fedora
Core 5 (so I can learn more about the Linux environment) and to become
more comfortable with SCSI drive management. I'm not a true Linux
newbie, but I have only administered existing Linux/Apache servers at
work and my only installs have been on desktops with IDE drives.

The server has the Compaq Smart Array 2/P RAID Controller installed and
two 2.1 GB SCSI drives in the drive cage. The Storage System is also
full of drives, but I am waiting for the SCSI cable to attach it to the
server, because he forgot to grab that when he brought me the rest of
the stuff.

I was able to download and use the SmartStart 5.50 CD to erase the
system and congifure the array. I told it to optimize the system for a
Linux install and at the end, it told me it would restart and I should
follow the OS instructions to continue my install.

I put CD#1 in and let the system boot to it.

The install started and reached a certain point and hung for a very
long time. I cycled the power and tried one mor time. It hangs in the
same place every time.

Here's the text that is on the screen when it hangs:

CPU: Intel Pentium Pro Stepping 07
Checking 'hit' instruction... OK.
ExtINT not setup in hardware but reported by MP table
ENABLING IO-APIC IRQs
..TIMER: vector=0x31 apic1=0 pin1=2 apic2=0 pin2=0
..MP-BIOS bug: 8254 timer not connected to IO-APIC
...trying to set up timer (IRQ0) through the 8259A ...
..... (found pin 0) ...works.
checking if image is initramfs... it is
Freeing initrd memory: 4859k freed
NET: Registered protocal family 16
PCI: PCI BIOS revision 2.10 entry at 0xf0068, last bus=2
PCI: Using configuration type 1
ACPI: Subsystem revision 20060127
ACPI: Interpreter disabled.
Linux Plug and Play Support v0.97 (c) Adam Belay
pnp: PnP ACPI: disabled
usbco registered new driver usbfs
usbco registered new driver hub
PCI: Probing PCI hardware
PCI BIOS passed nonexistent PCI bus 2!
PCI: Device 0000:00:00.0 not found by BIOS
PCI: Device 0000:00:14.0 not found by BIOS
PCI: Failed to allocate mem resource #6:1000000@42000000 for
0000:01:06.0
PCI: Bridge: 0000:00:0d.0

Things I am uncertain about:

Since I don't have the SCSI cable for attaching the Storage System, the
SCSI connector on th rear of the server is unterminated. I don't know
if this model is self terminating, or if I need a terminator. If so,
could that be what is hanging it up?

Could it be a bad RAM issue? The system has, I believe, the 64MB DIMM
and two 128MB DIMMs. Memory counts up fine, but it counts to only 274K
and some change. I'm assuming that's a shared memory situation.

By the way, I tried just for fun and giggles late last night booting to
the Knoppix 5.0.1 CD. It wouldn't load either, but I didn't get the
text from that error, other than it was unable to load and was loading
instead a minimal enivornment that gave me a prompt only.

I really want to get this going. Any hints?

Thanks

Steve



boot from your smartstart CD, run the SCU choose your OS type. It should be
something to the affect of, Unix, Other, Linux. I had to do this on an old
6400R (yes, i know its newer but that isnt the point) before VMWARE ESX
Server 2.5.1 would do more than 1 processor.

Your system should not have a shared memory thingy going on. try moving them
around and see what happenes. Does the boot stop at the same point? does the
amount of memory reported during the POST change ? Try it with a single 128
and see what happens.

Also, grab SS5.50 and burn that at the slowest possible speed (you are doing
SS5.0 you got from someone, no?)

- LC

Also, there are loads of posts in this group about installing various
linuxes on proliant machines. Google for them.